How Your Fire Sprinkler System Quickly Suppresses a Fire

4/29/2021 (Permalink)

Fire sprinkler system in Edmond, OK.

Fire sprinklers are an essential tool in controlling a fire in your  Edmond, OK, facility. Here is a look at how a sprinkler system functions.

Sprinkler System Parts

The main components of a sprinkler system are:

• Pipes that hold water under pressure
  
• Plug to hold the water back until the system activates
  
• Glass bulb filled with glycerin
  
• Deflector that directs water around the room
  
  

Sprinkler heads are placed around 12-15 feet apart and connected by pipes that are always filled with water. Fire suppression happens quickly once a fire activates the system.

How a Fire Activates the Sprinkler System
When a fire breaks out, the room temperature rises. At 160 degrees Fahrenheit, the glycerin in the glass bulb expands, breaking the bulb and springing the plug open. Water under pressure comes out of the pipe, and the deflector sprays it around the room.

Myths About Sprinkler Systems
Contrary to popular belief, smoke does not activate a sprinkler system. Smoke by itself will not produce the temperature change needed to expand glycerin and break the sprinkler bulb. Small amounts of heat, such as those produced by an appliance or burning candle, will not raise the temperature enough to activate the system.
The temperature change activates each fire sprinkler head individually. A contained fire will only set off the sprinklers that reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sprinkler System Advantages
Fire can do a lot more damage to your building than water from sprinkler heads. If a fire breaks out in your Edmond, OK, facility, fire suppression begins as soon as the system activates. The system contains the fire and may produce less water than firefighters need to put out a larger fire. It may be easier to do fire sprinkler cleanup and fire damage repair.
Hopefully, you will never need to use your fire sprinkler. If a fire breaks out, your system is more likely to minimize damage than if you didn't have one installed.